Looms for weaving

ABSTRACT

A multicell shuttle box supported by a lifter rod for movement to predetermined positions corresponding to the required positions of the shuttle box, a rocker arm, to one end of which the lifter rod is pivotally connected, a lever pivotally connected intermediate its ends to the other end of the rocker arm, a pair of cylinder and piston assemblies including rods, said rods being pivotally connected to the ends of the lever, and valves for supplying fluid pressure to the cylinders to effect reciprocation of the piston rods and hence movement of the shuttle box by way of the aforesaid connecting rocker arm and lever. Pairs of electromagnets provide for shifting the valves, switches connect the electromagnets to a source of power, said switches being adapted to be preset by means of a patterning device to effect movement of the shuttle box to the required positions, and a main power switch operable at a predetermined time in the loom cycle effects operation of the switches simultaneously.

waited States Patent (72] lnventors Thomas Hindle;

Vincent Pinder Banks, both of Blackburn, England [21] Appl. No. 827,615 [22] Filed May 26, 1969 [45] Patented June 22, 1971 [73] Assignee l-iindle, Son and Company Limited Blackburn, England [32] Priority Mar. 22, 1969 [33] Great Britain [31] 15,176/69 [54] LOOMS FOR WEAVING 9 Claims, 2 Drawing Figs.

[52] US. Cl 139/171 [51] int. Cl D03d 43/04 [50] Field of Search 139/126, l71,1,181,55

[56] References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,615,475 10/1952 Eves 139/171 Primary Examiner-Henry S. J audon Attorney-Roberts, Cushman and Grover ABSTRACT: A multicell shuttle box supported by a lifter rod for movement to predetermined positions corresponding to the required positions of the shuttle box, a rocker arm, to one end of which the lifter rod is pivotally connected, a lever pivotally connected intermediate its ends to the other end of the rocker arm, a pair of cylinder and piston assemblies including rods, said rods being pivotally connected to the ends of the lever, and valves for supplying fluid pressure to the cylinders to effect reciprocation of the piston rods and hence movement of the shuttle box by way of the aforesaid connecting rocker arm and lever. Pairs of electromagnets provide for shifting the valves, switches connect the electromagnets to a source of power, said switches being adapted to be preset by means of a patterning device to effect movement of the shuttle box to the required positions, and a main power switch operable at a predetermined time in the loom cycle effects operation of the switches simultaneously.

LOOMS FOR WEAVING It has been proposed to actuate shuttle boxes by fluid pressure means under mechanical control of cams on the loom crankshaft, and also to actuate a two cell shuttle box by a piston working in a cylinder, to either end of which compressed air can be admitted through an electromagnetically operated slide valve under the control of a patterning device.

According to the present invention there is provided an operating mechanism for a three or four cell shuttle box including two mechanically interconnected double-acting actuators, a mechanical linkage between the actuators and the shuttle box, the said linkage being adjustable between predetermined angular positions under the control of the actuators and each said predetermined position corresponding to a required position of the shuttle box, a valve means, one for each actuator, adapted to control the passage of fluid to or from the respective actuators, and a control means including a patterning device and timing switch adapted to actuate the said valve means, the patterning device and timing switch functioning at predetermined and different times in the loom cycle.

Preferably the said means each comprises an electromagnetically actuable slide valve.

One form of the invention is illustrated, by way of example only, in the accompanying drawing, of which FIG. 1. shows the complete apparatus for operating a three cell shuttle box, and FIG. 2 is a detail showing the modified levers for operating a four cell shuttle box,

Referring to FIG. 1, a pair of double-acting actuators, l and 2, are hinged on the loom structure at F1 and F2, while their protruding piston rods 3 and 4 are connected by pins to the opposite ends 5a and 5b, of the swinging combination lever 5, which is adapted to swing on its central pin 6 carried in the rear-arm 7a of the box-lever, which itself is arranged to swing on pin 7 supported by the loom structure, while the front-arm 7b serves, in the usual manner, to lift and lower the three cell shuttle box B by means of its lifter-rod 8.

The actuators, 1 and 2, in this example, have a common stroke as indicated at S, and are preferably provided with automatic cushioning action at each end of the stroke. Pressure fluid, such as hydraulic fluid or compressed air, is admitted to one end or the other and is simultaneously released from the opposing end of each actuator cylinder by a pair of slidevalves, 11 and 12, through connecting pipes R. Each slidevalve is provided with two electric solenoids, lla and 11b for valve 11, and 12a and 12b for valve 12. These slide-valves, to which air is applied through inlet ports A, are springless, and are so adapted that when a slide-valve has been drawn to one end by momentary energization of one of its solenoids, the said slide-valve remains in that position until its other solenoid is momentarily energized thereby causing the slide-valve to shoot over to its opposite position, and so on.

The patterning device P may take any known form, but preferably comprises two additional lines of bowls and tubes on the usual dobby pattern chain. The additional bowls and tubes shown at P serve to actuate two two-way sensing switches, 13 and 14, by which means the two slide-valves are selectively actuated and the two actuators are pressurized to provide any desired lifting or lowering sequence for the shuttle box, in overall synchronism with the action of the shedding dobby.

However, the dobby patterning device P rotates at a rate or time in the loom cycle appropriate shuttle box controlling the dobby shedding mechanism, and it is usually necessary that the box-change shall commence later and also occupy less time, than the head-change. For this reason, the box-pattern chain P merely selects the slide-valve solenoids which are next to be energized, and their actual energization occurs later in the cycle when the circuits of all the selected solenoids are completed by the timing switch T, which is thus common to all the solenoids concerned with shuttle-box actuation at both ends of the loom.

The timing device, therefore, consists of a timing switch T, which is closed by a cam 15 rotating at loom crankshaft speed at the particular time in the loom cycle appropriate for the box-change to commence at which time the healds may have completed as much as one-half of their changing movement.

When their selected solenoids are momentarily energised in the above manner, the slide valves either remain in their then existing positions or shoot over to their opposite positions. The timing switch T, therefore, is required to be closed by its cam 15 for only a small angle of the crankshaft revolution.

The apparatus as shown by FIG. 1 may be applied to both ends of a loom, with the exception that the pattem-chain P arranged atone end may control the box-motions at both ends.

FIG. 2 shows the levers suitably modified for operating a four cell shuttle box, the central pin 7 being asymmetrically disposed upon the combination lever 5.

Any known form of combination lever or levers capable of actuating either a three or a four cell shuttle box may be utilized in the above manner when powered by two fluid pressure actuators.

We claim:

1. In a loom, a multicell shuttle box supported for movement to predetermined positions corresponding to required positions of the shuttle box two fluid operable, double-acting actuators, first means pivotally interconnecting said actuators, second pivotally supported means pivotally connected to the first means intermediate the pivotal connections of the latter to the actuators and pivotally connected to the shuttle box, said first means being movable under the control of said actuators to move the second means angularly about its pivot axis to in turn move the shuttle box to said required positions of the shuttle box, valve means connected to the fluid operable actuators, one for each actuator, said valve means being operable to control the passage of fluid to and from the respective actuators, a patterning device determinative of the position of the shuttle box at a given time in a cycle of operation of the loom, said patterning device being connected to the valve means and operative to condition the valve means to shift it to a position to accomplish movement of the shuttle box to said required positions at said desired times in the cycle, and a timing device operatively connected to the valve means operative to effect simultaneous operation of said conditioned valve means.

2. An operating mechanism as claimed in claim 1, wherein the said valve means each comprise electromagnetically actuable slide-valves.

3. An operating mechanism according to claim 1, wherein the second means is pivotally connected to the first means at a symmetrical position with respect to the pivotal connections of the first means with the actuators.

4. An operating mechanism according to claim 1, wherein the second means is connected to the first means at an asymmetrical position with respect to the ends of the pivotal connections of the first means to the actuators to provide for four predetermined angular positions of the second means and hence four positions of the shuttle box.

5. An operating mechanism according to claim 1, wherein the fluid operable actuators are cylinder and piston assemblies including piston rods, and the first means is a rigid lever pivotally secured at its respective ends to the ends of the piston rods which protrude from the cylinders.

6. An operating mechanism as claimed in claim 1, wherein the timing switch is cam operated.

7. An operating mechanism as claimed in claim 1, wherein the patterning device comprises two lines of bowls and spacers, one for each actuator, the said device being operated in synchronism with loom operation.

8. In a loom, a multicell shuttle box and lifter rod supporting the shuttle box for movement to predetermined positions cor responding to required positions of the shuttle box, two fluid operable, reciprocal actuators, a first rigid lever pivotally connected at its ends, respectively to the respective actuators, a second pivotally supported rigid lever pivotally connected at one end to the first lever intermediate its ends and at its other end to the lifter rod of the shuttle box, said first lever being movable by reciprocal movement of the actuators to move the second lever angularly about its pivot axis to in turn move the lifter rod and hence the shuttle box to said required positions of the shuttle box, valve means connected to the fluid operable, double-acting actuators, one for each actuator, said valve means being adapted to control the passage of fluid to and from the respective actuators, a patterning device for selectively determining the position of the shuttle box at a predetermined time in a cycle of operation of the loom, switches operable by said patterning device to condition the valve means for operation at said predetermined required time in the cycle of operation of the loom, and a timing device operable to simultaneously connect said switches to a source of power at a different time in the cycle of operation of the loom.

9. In a loom, a multicell shuttle box and lifter rod supporting the shuttle box for movement to predetermined positions corresponding to required positions of the shuttle box at appropriate times in the cycle of operation of the loom, means for effecting such movement comprising a pair of cylinder and &

piston assemblies, each embodying a piston rod, a rigid link pivotally connected at its respective ends to the respective piston rods, a pivotally supported rigid lever pivotally connected at one end to the rigid link intermediate its ends and at its other end to the lifter rod, said rigid link being movable by simultaneous movement of the piston rods to effect angular movement of the rigid lever and said rigid lever being operable by said angular movement to effect movement of the lifter rod and hence the shuttle box to said predetermined positions, valve means connected to each cylinder adapted to control the flow of fluid to and from the cylinders, electrically operable means connected to the valve means for effecting movement thereof, switches adapted to control the electrically operable means, a patterning device embodying means for presetting the switches so that when actuated they will effect movement of the shuttle box to the required positions, a power-supplying switch in the circuit and a timing device operable at predetermined intervals in the loom cycle to actuate said power switch. 

1. In a loom, a multicell shuttle box supported for movement to predetermined positions corresponding to required positions of the shuttle box two fluid operable, double-acting actuators, first means pivotally interconnecting said actuators, second pivotally supported means pivotally connected to the first means intermediate the pivotal connections of the latter to the actuators and pivotally connected to the shuttle box, said first means being movable under the control of said actuators to move the second means angularly about its pivot axis to in turn move the shuttle box to said required positions of the shuttle box, valve means connected to the fluid operable actuators, one for each actuator, said valve means being operable to control the passage of fluid to and from the respective actuators, a patterning device determinative of the position of the shuttle box at a given time in a cycle of operation of the loom, said patterning device being connected to the valve means and operative to condition the valve means to shift it to a position to accomplish movement of the shuttle box to said required positions at said desired times in the cycle, and a timing device operatively connecteD to the valve means operative to effect simultaneous operation of said conditioned valve means.
 2. An operating mechanism as claimed in claim 1, wherein the said valve means each comprise electromagnetically actuable slide-valves.
 3. An operating mechanism according to claim 1, wherein the second means is pivotally connected to the first means at a symmetrical position with respect to the pivotal connections of the first means with the actuators.
 4. An operating mechanism according to claim 1, wherein the second means is connected to the first means at an asymmetrical position with respect to the ends of the pivotal connections of the first means to the actuators to provide for four predetermined angular positions of the second means and hence four positions of the shuttle box.
 5. An operating mechanism according to claim 1, wherein the fluid operable actuators are cylinder and piston assemblies including piston rods, and the first means is a rigid lever pivotally secured at its respective ends to the ends of the piston rods which protrude from the cylinders.
 6. An operating mechanism as claimed in claim 1, wherein the timing switch is cam operated.
 7. An operating mechanism as claimed in claim 1, wherein the patterning device comprises two lines of bowls and spacers, one for each actuator, the said device being operated in synchronism with loom operation.
 8. In a loom, a multicell shuttle box and lifter rod supporting the shuttle box for movement to predetermined positions corresponding to required positions of the shuttle box, two fluid operable, reciprocal actuators, a first rigid lever pivotally connected at its ends, respectively to the respective actuators, a second pivotally supported rigid lever pivotally connected at one end to the first lever intermediate its ends and at its other end to the lifter rod of the shuttle box, said first lever being movable by reciprocal movement of the actuators to move the second lever angularly about its pivot axis to in turn move the lifter rod and hence the shuttle box to said required positions of the shuttle box, valve means connected to the fluid operable, double-acting actuators, one for each actuator, said valve means being adapted to control the passage of fluid to and from the respective actuators, a patterning device for selectively determining the position of the shuttle box at a predetermined time in a cycle of operation of the loom, switches operable by said patterning device to condition the valve means for operation at said predetermined required time in the cycle of operation of the loom, and a timing device operable to simultaneously connect said switches to a source of power at a different time in the cycle of operation of the loom.
 9. In a loom, a multicell shuttle box and lifter rod supporting the shuttle box for movement to predetermined positions corresponding to required positions of the shuttle box at appropriate times in the cycle of operation of the loom, means for effecting such movement comprising a pair of cylinder and piston assemblies, each embodying a piston rod, a rigid link pivotally connected at its respective ends to the respective piston rods, a pivotally supported rigid lever pivotally connected at one end to the rigid link intermediate its ends and at its other end to the lifter rod, said rigid link being movable by simultaneous movement of the piston rods to effect angular movement of the rigid lever and said rigid lever being operable by said angular movement to effect movement of the lifter rod and hence the shuttle box to said predetermined positions, valve means connected to each cylinder adapted to control the flow of fluid to and from the cylinders, electrically operable means connected to the valve means for effecting movement thereof, switches adapted to control the electrically operable means, a patterning device embodying means for presetting the switches so that when actuated they will effect movement of the shuttle box to the required positions, a power-supplying switch in the circuit and a timing device operable at predetermined intervals in the loom cycle to actuate said power switch. 